SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper took to social media, worrying that if she were transferred to her employer’s daughter, the application would be cancelled as the 26-year-old was unmarried.
In an anonymous post to a Facebook group for domestic helpers and employers, the maid asked others for advice on her situation. She wrote that her contract was set to finish the next month, and she and her employer agreed on a renewal. However, two weeks ago, the maid added that her employer told her that she would be transferred to her 26-year-old daughter, who had not married yet.
The maid added: “but my friend tell me being employer must married (27 years plus) , is it..?? So how about me if my employer cancel ready my work permit but MOM not approved her daughter …??”
The helper was concerned because a friend of hers said that to employ a maid, one had to be married and over the age of 27. She asked others if this was true as her Work Permit (WP) had already been cancelled, so if the transfer application did not go through successfully, she worried that she would be sent back.
Here’s what others in the group said:
According to the Manpower Ministry (MOM), “If you are a single person, we will assess your eligibility and need to employ a migrant domestic worker (MDW).
To apply, you:
- Must be 21 years old and above.
- Cannot be an undischarged bankrupt when making the application.
- Must be earning a steady source of income, because employing a MDW comes with various costs, including the MDW’s salary, levy, medical insurance and food”. /TISG